If you want a job that leaves you fulfilled at the end of the working day,
then find a position in IT or professional services such as the law, HR or
marketing.

People working in these industries have reported the highest levels of professional fulfilment, at 73pc according to a new study by financial and professional recruitment agency Randstad.

Just 6pc of those working in IT say their jobs leaves them unfulfilled, and 20pc are indifferent to it. For law, HR and marketing, 10pc are unfulfilled and 17pc are indifferent.

The unhappiest workers according to Randstad's poll of 2,000 people employed at all levels working in different industries were identified as those in telecoms with only 40pc say their jobs were fulfilling. Some 47pc in the sector said they were indifferent to the job and 13pc said they were unfulfilled.

Randstad warned that poor levels of job satisfaction and fulfilment raises absenteeism, hitting companies' profits. Across the UK, the average costs of absence per employee per year is now £975 and roughly 160m working days a year are lost due to absence from the workplace, with the total direct cost to the economy put at £14bn .

Job satisfaction - as well as commitment and work-life balance - also has an important effect on levels of engagement and people resigning. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy - high staff turnover makes it more likely that employees will feel dissatisfied with their job, and therefore quit.

Randstad suggests employers hire more younger and older workers and more women to increase the job satisfaction of their workforces. The recruiter's research revealed professional fulfilment is at its highest among those at the start or end of their career.

More than two thirds (67pc) of 18 to 24-year-olds feel fulfilled in their professional lives as do two thirds (66pc) of those aged above 55. Fulfilment then diminishes during the middle of people’s careers – the lowest proportion of those who feel fulfilled at work was among those aged 35 to 44 at 57pc .

Tara Ricks, anaging director of Randstad Financial & Professional said: “The mid-life crisis has long been a dreaded part of growing older, but is often seen as a figment of people’s imagination. Our research shows a mid-career crisis is a very real phenomenon. Employers who are keen to increase the overall professional fulfilment of their workforce can ensure they are hiring older workers as well as passionate young people.

"Only 57pc of people aged between 55 and 64 are employed in the UK. In the US and Australia, it’s 60pc and 61pc. We can’t disproportionately rely on the middle aged. There’s a lot of scope for improvement.”

The research also revealed that a higher proportion of women feel very fulfilled than men (17pc of women against 16%pc of men) while more men say they are not professionally fulfilled (39pc versus 38pc).

Ms Ricks said: “If you increase the number of women in your organisation that will have an effect on the overall job satisfaction of your workforce. To do that you’ll need to ensure you are a flexible employer and are providing working conditions that suit women. Out goes a culture of long hours and presenteeism, in comes temporary and part-time employment and greater attention to work-life balance.”